There are many ways to make money on the Web and a popular method is to use an affiliate program. But there is more to making money with an affiliate program than simply pasting in your links and watching your bank account grow. The following strategies will help you create a better affiliate site.

Start with Content, Not Affiliate Links

It can be very tempting to create a site that is jammed full of affiliate links. But if you don't have content to back up your links, your readers will simply leave. Remember, as an affiliate, you are automatically a middleman. This means that your customers can get what you're selling somewhere else, possibly for less. What do you provide to your customers that they can't get by going straight to the retailer?

Then Look at the Affiliate Provider

Check out how much they pay, how much their products sell for, and how useful they are. Plus, the more interested in the products you are, the easier it is for you to sell them.

Don't Worry About the Pay Percentages

1% of a $500 product will net you more than 10% of a $30 product. That's just math. But it can be easy to get sucked into the percentages when you're working as an affiliate. If you start thinking "this affiliate only pays X and I could do better" you're just going to sabotage yourself. Focus on the costs of the products you're selling, not the amount you get from the sale.

Take Your Time

Affiliate selling takes patience. Some companies don't pay out very quickly, or you need to make a minimum amount before they pay. If you spend time creating content and then adding affiliate links, your site will do better in the long run.